Liverpool have confirmed they are set to leave Melwood for a new state-of-the-art training complex built at their current Kirkby Academy base.

The ambitious £50million project will accommodate the first team as well as the club's youth set up, as the Reds leave their 1950s base.

Boss Jurgen Klopp has been the catalyst behind the decision to blend the club’s two training facilities and owners Fenway Sports Group have committed the funds to make his dream a reality, reports the Liverpool Echo .

It will see the Reds leave Melwood training ground where they have been based since the 1950s (Image: Getty)

Liverpool's chief operating officer Andy Hughes says that the West Derby site is “unable to accommodate our longer term ambitions”.

“Our proposed plans to bring the first team and young players together in one location is a really exciting proposition,” Hughes said.

“The scheme includes state-of-the-art facilities which will be used to support the development of our players and provides all-weather training options.

“We are also working closely with Knowsley Council on plans to make substantial improvements for the local community.

The Reds are relocating (Image: Liverpool Echo)

And are set for new facilities near the site of their academy (Image: Liverpool Echo)

“These include new and improved football pitches and sports facilities to support grass roots and amateur football teams, and developments to the surrounding areas for local residents.

“We recognise that Melwood has played a significant role in the club’s success and forms an important part of our history. However, the Melwood site is limited in space and is unable to accommodate our longer term ambitions which is why we are exploring options on the Academy site.

“We are encouraging our neighbours and local residents in Kirkby to attend to the public consultation to see the proposals first hand.”

Liverpool intend to purchase 14 acres of land at Simonswood Playing Fields at the rear of the Academy in order to expand the size of the current site in Kirkby to around 60 acres. The plans have been drawn up by London-based architects KSS, who designed Anfield’s new Main Stand.

As part of the scheme Liverpool will upgrade the remaining community football pitches nearby and build new changing facilities and a car park. The surrounding area will also get a facelift with new walking and cycling paths created.

Local residents in Kirkby and Melwood will soon receive letters advising them of the club’s proposals.

A planning application will be submitted to Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council within the next few months and if it gets the green light then the redevelopment of Kirkby will start in early 2018.

Klopp watches training at Kirkby Academy (Image: Getty)

Work would be completed by the summer of 2019 with Liverpool’s first-team squad making the switch to Kirkby for pre-season training ahead of the 2019/20 season.

The Reds’ move would be accompanied by the sale of Melwood in West Derby, which is a prime site to help address the shortage of high quality family homes in the area. Everton did the same with Bellefield when they left for their new training facility at Finch Farm in 2007.

The existing Academy buildings at Kirkby are set to remain and be refurbished with the first-team training centre built nearby. The facilities will include a new covered artificial pitch, a pool and hydrotherapy complex, gymnasium and specialist sports rehabilitation suites.

Steven Gerrard on his first day as an academy coach at Kirkby (Image: Liverpool FC/Getty Images)

Architects KSS specialise in major sports venues and training facilities. As well as Anfield’s Main Stand, they worked on London’s Olympic Stadium, Stamford Bridge, Twickenham, the No 1 Court at Wimbledon and Tottenham’s new stadium.

Significantly, they also designed Spurs’ 77-acre Bulls Cross training complex in Enfield which opened in 2012 and is home to both their first team and Academy.

Melwood’s detachment from the Academy - they are separated by five miles - has been a source of frustration for Klopp since his appointment as Reds boss in October 2015. He wants everyone - from the under-nines through to the first-team - together at one training complex.

Expanding Melwood simply wasn’t feasible due to a lack of space. Liverpool considered other possible sites but redeveloping Kirkby emerged as the preferred option.